Sunset Beach Resort

Sunset Beach Resort & Spa - background:

The Sunset Beach Resort & Spa is a value-priced all-inclusive on a white-sand beach 15 minutes from the Montego Bay Airport. Size is 420 guest rooms and suites.

Location is a short cab ride to downtown Montego Bay, a popular tourist area with shops, restaurants, etc.

Sunset has two sister properties in Jamaica, including the family-friendly Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort & Spa.

Features of Sunset Beach:

The magnet for families is the Pirate's Paradise Water Park with over an acre of waves and chutes, including:

• Blackbeard's Lazy River
• Caribbean Pirate's Paradise Fort with slides, squirters, waterfalls, a 40-foot high Pirate's Plank Bridge and two rooftop Jacuzzis
• two shooting waterslides, 240 ft. long and 40 ft. high
• Pirate Ship for ages 2 to 12, with kid's own swimming pool and slide

Kids Clubs:

Adjacent to the water park is Club Mongoose, for ages two to 12, with disco, stage for special events, kids' pool. A 24-hr. Nurse's station is nearby.

"Club Mongoose" has a 4,442 sq. ft space for programs in several age groups. 2 to 4-year-olds might do puppet making or build sandcastles; 5 to 8-year-olds might do art, or a hermit crab hunt; ages 9 to 12 might do Reggae dance classes or adventures that teach about Jamaica. Hours are from 9 to 9.Also beside the water park is the Teen Center with arcade games, pool tables, and reggae music.

Other features:

• three private beaches
• watersports center with snorkeling, sunfish, sailing, kayaking, and paddle boats
• full Health Spa (extra cost)
• upgraded tennis pavilion with viewing stands; shuffleboard, giant chess and checkers; mini-golf

keep in mind about Sunset Beach Resort:

Guests' tips: bring water shoes (parts of the beach are rocky), and inflatables to laze on in the pool; if you want quiet before midnight, request a room that's not near the entertainment. Bring your own snorkel gear, and swim to good snorkeling from the shore (-no need to pay for a snorkel trip.) The resort does lend gear, but for a limited duration.

Note: be sure to read visitors' comments carefully for this resort, at a site such as TripAdvisor.com. Are there issues about quality of service? Cleanliness? Conditions change so get the latest scoop from recent visitors.

Find out more about Sunset Beach:

• see the Sunset Beach web site
• see visitors' comments at TripAdvisor (just enter "Sunset Beach" in the searchbox.
• Check prices

This brief profile is meant to introduce this resort to family vacationers; please note that the writer has not visited in person.

Always check resort sites for updates!